The Busted Knee, Pediatric Mood Disorder, and a Boyfriend

Goodness!  Last week's blog post was getting w a y  too long as that is what happens when I fail to update the blog regularly. . . that and my kiddo seems to have a ton of random stuff that keep popping up.  Anyway, I left off where I typed:

"BUSTED KNEE WHILE AT THE DOCTOR "

On the first day of winter break, Bear ended up with a busted knee.  She was having a follow up neuropsychiatrist appointment when I mentioned that she was peeing copious amounts of urine and frequently.  To the extent we put her back into pull-ups and it was soaking through them and her clothes about every hour.

The question was: UTI vs. Increased Urination secondary to medication?

Because I am a medical nerd, I researched Adderall XR and urine production.  I discovered that up to 5% of people on stimulants get urinary tract infections [UTI], but no mention of increased urination.  Consequentially, we tested Ellie for a UTI.  This kiddo usually needs to be catheterized for a urine sample. Sadly, she is relatively used to cathing due to her history of urinary retention.  Turkey Bear is strong.  Very strong.  To do a urinary catheterization, I have to hold her upper body while a nurse takes each leg.  The third nurse does the actual catheterization.  Being in a frog-legged position with pressure being pressed down on her leg while Ellie pushes up is a recipe for disaster.

Photo: limoncello.ie

After the cath, I told her to pull up her pants.  She kept falling down and crying.  Being the horrible mom that I am, I thought that she was being defiant.  I figured the crying was because she was still pissed off.  Nope, her left leg was buckling and she couldn't support her weight.  I refused to leave the clinic until the PCP assessed her.  It didn't seemed fractured, but a knee and bilateral hip X-rays were ordered.  She was finally able to stand without too much pain, but still falling.  I had to carry her around until the X-ray.  Of course, I threw out my back. . . again.  After her X-ray, she was going much better in that she was able to walk without pain or falling, but you could see her knee continue to buckled.  It was determined that she strained either the supporting ligaments or tendons.  She wore an ace bandage for a few days after which she decided it was a stylish fashioned statement and wanted one on each leg.  After a week of this, her ace bandage magically disappeared one night.

Ellie head banging to Like A Storm's "LTWYHM" aka
Love The Way You Hate Me
Like A Storm on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2ATh0Bl

PSYCHIATRIC CARE

In addition to making her pee, the Adderall XR didn't do anything for her ADHD.  She was super hyper, impulsive and not listening to directions.  It was so bad that her teacher asked if we stopped her medication.  Given the increase urination, the doctor hypothesized that she just didn't absorb the extended release Adderall.  We decided to go back to morning Adderall and add in a booster dose.

This seemed to help.  After nearly a year of having poor concentration, Ellie was finally able to sit down and color, paint, and play with play-doh.  However, it triggered her mood disorder.  She was taking 3 hours to fall asleep most nights and that was with an increase in her sleep meds and she would wake up much earlier than usual.  Note: this is not the Adderall.  Her midday does is at 10:30am and is out of her system at 1:30pm.  Some nights, she would only take an hour (this was her norm).

Soon, she was extremely energetic and very impulsive, but she could still attend to tasks.  She has always been a big repetitive with her speech - "mama!  first school. then dance", but it was nonstop.  As in as soon as she would finish the sentence, it would start all over.  It is sort of like the typical pressured speech you would see in an adult mania.  She was also emotional and defiant.  We'd tell her no on something and she would just melt down.  The neuropsychiatrist witnessed all this and just knew the E couldn't get control of herself.

For people with mood disorders, it is very common for other psychiatric medications such as stimulants and antidepressants to trigger a mixed state (both mania and depression at once) or a mania.  This is why people are placed on mood stabilizers.  So earlier this week, we increased her Trileptal dose.  I am really hoping that this works for her.  It is so trying for us and especially for her.

Hanging out with Brandon, the co-owner for Noble Sandwich Co
Formerly Noble Pig featured on Food Network.
 We go there every Saturday morning and she will not leave until she
gets to talk to him!

Best Friend/Boyfriend

Before Winter Break, The Bear's class had a winter party which parents were invited to.  It was during this party that I discovered Ellie had a best friend. Not to mention that she and S were all lovey dovey.  They are the same age and apparently were besties last year.  His mom said that S talks about her all the time.  This warms my heart to know that Ellie is making friends!  Over break, they were both at the same drop-in daycare and apparently they went off to a corner to play. . . um, should I be worried?!   What is this canoodling that is going on?!   Nonetheless, I always worry about Ellie connecting with other kids because she is predominately nonverbal and also has her impulsive behaviors such as shirt pulling and stealing toys (and putting them away).

Pajama Thief!

Next Friday will be a fun filled day - cecostomy tube replacement, an ABR (fancy hearing screen), and an angiogram of her abdomen (to look at kidneys).  Currently, we are attempting to add on eye surgery, but it is complicated as the ophthalmologist doesn't usually have OR time on Fridays.  Fingers crossed we can get it all worked out!  I believe that this is her 17th or 18th time under anesthesia and I really want to avoid more procedures.